Apple tree named &#39;Swedes Fuji&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct late season variety of apple tree, named ‘Swedes Fuji’ originating from a mutation of the standard Fuji. This new cultivar displays a brilliant red blush uniform coloration which extends over the entire surface of the apple. The cultivar is generally similar to the parent with the exception of: 1) fruit color and 2) it is easier to harvest because it has a more uniform rate of coloration throughout the entire tree when the fruit is maturing in late fall.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0001] The Okanogan Valley in Washington state, where the ‘Swedes Fuji’apple trees are now growing, is an agricultural region geographicallystructured into primarily small family farms. Our own family has beencommercially producing apples of many different varieties for fivegenerations now, and the present generation of our Pickering familycontinues this tradition. We have been experimenting and developing newvarieties of apple trees for 80 years and have upgraded our orchardswhenever improvements were found.

[0002] Unfortunately, no written records were kept for most of thoseyears. Also, some of the earlier helpful apple growers in the family, aswell as supportive non-family apple growing friends are now deceased. Mypoint in stating this is that our current orchard makeup, which is thebest that we have developed in many years, is the result of not only thecurrent inventors, but is also at least partially because of the effortsof a few of the deceased—even though no records exist.

[0003] We were among the very first people to introduce Fujis intovalley during the 1980s at which time we grafted and planted in as manydifferent types of Fujis as was then available. We have beenexperimenting and grafting every since on thousands of trees comprisedof seven different varieties of Fujis now growing. During the course ofthose earlier years (it was either 1990 or 1991) we noticed at harvesttime that the fruit from one or two trees was quite different than allthe others and we have concentrated our efforts on scion taken from thatsource. The progeny has been stable for three grafting generations now.This new cultivar is generally similar to standard Fujis in all respectsexcept for color. It has a very intense red blush coloration overall,which gives it a more attractive and unique appearance in theconstellation of the various Fuji varieties.

[0004] ‘Swedes Fuji’ is a new, unique and strikingly different variationof the standard Fuji apple tree (Malus domestica). It is characterizedby its brilliant red fruit color, with absolutely no striping pattern(seen on standard Fujis). The fruit is medium to large in size andtastes similar to, if not slightly sweeter than standard Fujis. ‘SwedesFuji’ is of the generally late season harvest variety. It is easier toharvest though, than the standard Fuji, because throughout an entireorchard most of the fruit tends to have similar coloration andmaturation rates, resulting in almost all of the fruit being moreuniform in color at harvest time.

FIGURES All in Color

[0005]FIG. 1 shows a typical example of the ‘Swedes Fuji apple (upper).It demonstrates the uniformly brilliant color over the entire apple withno striping pattern. This coloration is found on nearly all applesthroughout each entire tire. (See FIG. 5 on following pages.) Forcomparison purposes an example of the standard Fuji variety is shown(lower) demonstrating its well known striping pattern and subduedcolors.

[0006]FIG. 2 shows top and bottom views of the ‘Swedes Fuji’ fruitdemonstrating the extend of the blush coloration completely into thestem basin and the calyx.

[0007]FIG. 3 shows half sections of the ‘Swedes Fuji’ cut alonglongitudinal (upper) and tangential (lower) axes.

[0008]FIG. 4 shows a view of typical ‘Swedes Fuji trees in late summer.

[0009]FIG. 5 shows a typical ‘Swedes Fuji’ tree at harvest time.

[0010]FIG. 6 shows typical ‘Swedes Fuji’ trees during full blossom.

[0011]FIG. 7 shows close up views of two blossom clusters of the ‘SwedesFuji’ apple tree.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Tree:

[0013]Genus.—Malus domestica.

[0014]Designated name.—‘Swedes Fuji’.

[0015]Growing location.—Okanogan Valley in Washington state.

[0016]Soil type.—Sandy loam.

[0017]Propagation.—Asexual, retains unique characteristics throughsuccessive generations onto M7 rootstalk.

[0018]Origin/parentage.—A mutation from the traditional standard(unpatented) Fuji.

[0019]Tree Size.—Medium, with vigor similar to standard Fuji.

[0020]Productivity.—Good to excellent; needs fruit thinning in latespring (both manual and/or chemical spray applications acceptable).Tends to be somewhat more fruit on alternate years, but sometimes a goodcrop every year. On M7 rootstalk cultivar bears significant quantitiesof fruit by 3rd year.

[0021]Annular growth.—Good, needs yearly selective winter pruning.

[0022]Pollinization.—Mostly Granny Smiths were tested which performedsatisfactorily; also standard Fujis performed satisfactorily, but noextensive testing done yet on these.

[0023]General appearance.—Similar to standard Fuji.

[0024]Trunk.—Medium, smooth, stocky and grey in color.

[0025]Branching pattern.—A spreading wide angle branching pattern whichwhen accompanied with appropriate pruning tends to provide a more opencanopy, allowing more sunlight to reach most all fruit on the tree. SeeFIGS. 4 and 5.

[0026]Current season's shoots.—Similar to standard Fuji, a weakpubescence, medium internode length, and upward extending medium lengthleaves.

[0027]Dormant shoots.—Similar to standard Fuji, medium length andgreyish brown in color.

[0028]Leaves.—Similar to standard Fuji; for an average primary leaf,length=70 to 100 mm, width=35 to 60 mm. Configuration is rather oblongwith an acuminate trip. Edges are serrated. Petioles are in general nonremarkable, again similar to standard Fuji. There is medium glossinesson leaf upper surface and mild pubescence on under surface. Color isdark green on upper and pale green on lower surfaces. Stipules, pairedand typically vary in length from 8 to 11 mm, with width of 1.5 to 2 mm.

[0029]Lenticals.—Medium size, non remarkable.

[0030]Growing season.—A later maturing apple with full maturity usuallyoccurring approximately in the 3rd or 4th week of October (somewhatdependent upon weather conditions during summer growing months).

[0031]Heat/sun tolerance.—The fruit of this cultivar is less prone tosunburn than other Fuji varieties.

[0032]Growing condition requirements.—Similar as for standard Fujis.

[0033]Marketability.—An improved Fuji, perhaps mildly so in taste, butmarkedly so visually/esthetically. It has a surprisingly strikingappearance. It processes well in the usual apple warehouses, is suitablefor snacks, health foods, desserts and it could be described as aspecialty premium apple with excellent quality.

[0034] Fruit:

[0035]Color appearance.—50R 4/16 in the Munsell color indication system.This is a rather brilliant red, more so than any other Fuji. (FIGS. 1 &2).

[0036]Pattern appearance.—None. The entire surface of the apple presentsa mostly uniform blush, on 95% up to 100% of the surface of the fruit.this is in contrast to the 25% to 40% usually observed on standardFujis. The uniform coloration of the ‘Swedes Fuji’ extends completelyinto the stem basin and into the entire calyx. The striping pattern seenon standard Fujis is completely absent from ‘Swedes Fuji’. (FIG. 2).

[0037]Size and shape.—Medium to large, rounded smoothly curved fruit.Average height=80 to 90 mm, width=80 to 90 mm. For typical specimensthis ratio remains about 1:1. Weight=280-350 grams. The fruit isrelatively symetrically rounded with maximum circumference usuallyoccurring at the equator, i.e. midway between the stem basin and thecalyx. There is very little crowning on either end. The stem and blossomends both are slightly flattened and smoothly curved approximatelyequally, with crown and shoulders gently rounded.

[0038]Skin.—Surface is smooth, no ridging, rather glossy, and with notendency towards cracking. Skin thickness is relatively thin.

[0039]Taste and Flesh.—Pleasantly enhanced sweet flavor. Flesh is juicybut firm, crunchy and medium in texture. It has a mild to medium aroma.Consensus of tasters is that is tastes at least equally good (perhapsslightly better) than other Fuji varieties.

[0040]Core.—Medium in size and extent. Ellipsoid shaped in geometry whenviewed from a longitudinal cut. The color is a creamy whitish hue with ayellowish tinge.

[0041]Calyx.—Morphologically similar to standard Fuji.

[0042]Stem.—Medium length and thickness.

[0043]Seeds.—Total number per apple varies in a statistically bimodaldistribution pattern with peaks at either 10±1 or 15±1. Tangential crosssections of the apple show 5 symetrically located seed cells withusually 2 seeds per cell for an entire apple, or 3 seeds per cell for anentire apple. The shape of each seed is a bilaterally symetric tear dropconfiguration, but somewhat flattened along the long axis. A typicalseed exhibits dimensions of length=8 mm, width=5 mm, and thickness=3 mm.They are a dark brown color.

[0044]Genetic composition.—Currently, patent application procedures donot require DNA testing because there exists no publically accessibleDNA data bases for comparisons. Never-the-less, we were informed thatour new cultivar is genetically unique, i.e. different than all otherapple trees. This information came from a private company DNA test doneby one of the people interested in marketing our apple. The geneticcomposition was evidently compared with private data bank records.

[0045]Storage life.—Keeps well with long storage life; up to 6 months inrefrigeration and up to 12 months in controlled atmosphere facilities.

[0046]Harvesting.—A definite advantage over other Fuji varieties becausethis new cultivar's fruit matures and deepens in color at a relativelyuniform rate throughout the entire tree; sufficiently so such that colorselective harvesting procedures are not necessary. Upon reachingsufficient maturity the entire trees can be completely harvested. Thisis unlike the other varieties of Fujis. which in order to maintain goodquality control, 2 or 3 selective successive pickings are (should be)done during each harvest season. See FIG. 5 for color appearance on thetree for ‘Swedes Fuji’ at harvest time.

[0047]Water coring.—Similar to standard Fuji.

[0048]Disease resistance.—No apparent differences from standard Fujis insusceptibility to the known insects and diseases, i.e. the usual controlmethods for aphids, mildew, codling moth, and leaf roller areapplicable.

[0049] Blossoms:

[0050]Timing.—Full bloom occurs during first week in May.

[0051]Duration.—Total time from onset until petals drop is about 7 to 10days, dependent upon the weather, especially temperature and windconditions.

[0052]Size.—Medium to large, typical blossom diameter=50 mm. Pedal shapeis an oblong rounded mix. Pedal length=24 mm, pedal width=15 mm. Eachblossom is slightly cupped.

[0053]Pedal number.—5.

[0054]Stamen and pistil.—Similar to standard Fuji.

[0055]Color.—White when opened, has an external pinkish tinge whenunopened.

[0056]Sepals.—Medium sized.

[0057]Fragrance.—Mild.

[0058]Overall.—Similar to parentage from standard Fuji.

1. A newly invented and distinct cultivar from the standard (notpatented) Fuji apple tree as illustrated and described herein,characterized by a fruit which is a brilliant red uniform coloration,(i.e. a full blush with literally no striping pattern).